Fishing rod



June 20 1944- J. c. BAcKE 2,351,734

FISHING ROD Filed April 4, 1942 Patented June 20, 1944 OFFICE FISHING non y f mm c. nacr, cqmnna, Mich. Application prn 4, 1942, serial No. 431,696

4 calms. .'(cl. 43-18) itis an object ofthe invenshing rod in which sion of the flexible portions, permitting the rod to be used in different styles of fishing.

Additional objects, advantages andfeatures of invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a side elevation of a rod constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged detail, partlyin section, illustrating a mounting of a flexible connection.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view, partly in elevation, and the means for nections.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation of one of the flexible connections.

Figure 5 is an elevation, partly in section, illustrating a further flexible connection which may be embodied in the rod.

Figure 6 is a similar view illustrating the application of a flexible section with a standard sectional rod.

Figure 'I is a fragmentary sectional View illustrating a further form of a means for adjusting the tension of the pole. y

There is illustrated a fishing rod Ill consisting of any suitable number of sections Il, I2, I3 and I4, each being progressively tapered in the direction of the outer section Il, and between each section a flexible connector I5 is provided, forming the unitary rod.

A handle I6 is employed, having customary means for mounting of a reel, generally indicated at I1, and certain of the sections are provided with line guides I8 while the outermost section I4 includes a tip guide I9, for a purpose readily understood. The handle I6 includes a threaded stud 20 complemental Ito an internally threaded sleeve 2l of a ferrule 22. The ferrule 22 has an intermediate Wall 23 which is centrally aper- Icured, as at 24, for a purpose presently to be extensioning the flexible conare flexibly connected and in which means is provided for adjusting the ten. V

illustrating the handle connectionportion 26 is of plained. The ferrule 22 is internally threaded,as at 25, forming a socket cooperable with the lower threaded end 26 of the section Il.A The socket 25 is of a length greater than the threaded end of the section II for the purpose of adjustment,

as will be explained hereinafter.

The end of the sectionl I opposite the threaded reduced diameter, forming a tenon 21 and thenextl adjacent section I2 is similarly formed with a tenon 28. A helical spring 29 is employed, the outer coils of which are frictionally engaged upon respective opposed tenons. 'I'he other sections of the rod are similarly connected but the outer or tip section III terminates in a fiat face 30 for seating of a, terminal cap' 3l.

The sections Il, l2, i3, and it are each formed with a longitudinal .bore 32 arranged in align-l ment and threaded therethrough is a flexible strand t3, one end of which is fixed *to the terminal cap 3l erably the anchorage consists of a conical mem ber 3d which is rotatable upon a suitable base in the wall 23. i

liroin the foregoing, it will be seen that a. rod constructed as shown and described wi11 have spaced flexible portions, the tension of which may be adjusted by reason of the threaded connection between the lower section l I and the ferrule. Obviously, if the section il is turned in a manner to move outwardly of the ferrule a comv pression of the springs 29 will be effected by reason of the tension of the strand Zit, thereby reducing the flexibility of the connectors l5. If

' the rod section ll is moved in the opposite direction, tension on the strand 33 will be lessened, allowing a greater flexing of the connector springs l5. l y

h In Figure 5, therevis illustrated a hinge form of ilexible joint consisting of abutting rod sections 3ft and 35 suitably recessed upon one side to accommodate respective leaves of a hinge 3E.

` Upon the opposite side of the sections a helical spring 31 is mounted, one end of the spring being anchored to the section Sli as to 33, while the other end of the spring is anchored to the section 35 as at 39. In order that the spring may lie substantially within the circumference of the rod sections, these may be undercut, as at 40. The sections may be readily flexed as indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 6 represents a pair of conventional rod sections 4I and 42 in which one section is provided With a female member 43 and the other lsection with a male member 44, adapted to be and the other end being anchoredin the aperture 2t by anysuitable means. Prefv telescoped to form 44 are employed for lreduced diameter so hollow and has the pole.

a connection of the sections. However, in this instance, the members 43 and the mounting of a helical of the spring will have a as to be frlctionally received and engaged in the member` 43, while the other end of the spring will frictionally encompass the member 44 of the section 4I. In this form of the device, the spring 45 will have a tension sufficient for the purposes intended.

In Figure 7, I have illustrated a further means for tensioning the exible sections such as shown in Figure 1. In this form, the yhandle i6' is an internally threaded nipple 25 into which the lower section II of the rod is threadedly engaged. The section Il is hollow for accommodation of a'exible strand 33 the lower end of which terminates within the handle I6. A washer 46 is secured to the end of the wire and encircling the strand, interposed between the washer and the wall 41 of the nipple spring 46. One end there is a helical spring 48. It will be apparent that by rotating the handle the tension olf the spring 48 may be varied, with consequent variation of spring tensionbf the flexible sections of While I have .shown and described certain preferred forms of the rod, this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as my own all such modications in structure as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A ishing rod comprising a plurality of aligned sections, a exible connection between the sections, and a handle member on one of the sections, means connected with said handle having operative connection with the outermost section whereby to vary the flexibility of the flexible connection upon movement of the handle in a direction longitudinally, of said aligned sections.

2. A fishing rod comprising a plurality of aligned sections, a. ilexible connection between the sections, a handle member on one of the sections, each section having a longitudinal bore, a .flexible strand threaded through the bores of the aligned sections, said strand being anchored to the outermost section and a portionI of the handle, and operative connection between the handle and the section associated therewith for adjusting the exibility of said flexible connection.

3. A fishing rod comprising a plurality of aligned sections, each-section having a longitudinal bore, a strand threaded through the bores, one end being anchored to the outermost section, a helical spring connected between adjacent aligned sections, the lowermost section having a threaded terminal entl, a -ferrule threadedly engaged with said means for anchorage of the other end oi said strand and a handle member carried by said ferrule, the threaded engagement between said lowermost section and said ferrule being such as to vary the tension of the strand member and said helical spring.

4. A shing rod comprising a plurality of aligned sections, a exible connection between the sections, a hollow handle member on one of the sections, each section having a, longitudinal` bore, a nexibie strand threaded through the bores of the aligned sections, said strand being anchored to the outermost section and having a end of the handle, the connection between the handle and section being a screw-threaded connection.

JOHN C. BACKE. 

